'I thought I was beaten' - Tiber Flow denies Witch Hunter back-to-back Hungerford wins in photo-finish

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Tiber Flow has made a habit of pulling off the remarkable this season.

In fact, it could still be considered a minor miracle that he was able to line up in the Hungerford Stakes at all given the fall he suffered at York in May. All those watching, and those closest to him, feared the worst but that was not to be the end of Tiber Flow's story, not even close.

Less than a month later, the five-year-old erased the memories of that ordeal to win the John of Gaunt Stakes. He had to be tough that day. He also had to be tough here and showed the same fighting spirit to deny two previous winners in a pulsating finish to the Group 2. 

Four horses were in contention approaching the line and the favourite Kikkuli, a half-brother to the indomitable Frankel, was narrowly denied by three members of the older guard in Jumby and the fast-finishing Witch Hunter, whose rider Jamie Spencer must have believed he had won. 

"I thought he was dead at York – it was awful," said Maureen Haggas, the memory not yet diluted by the passage of time. "I took my shoes off and ran down the track, only to see him cantering past me with his ears pricked. We then saw him in the stables and it didn't seem to bother him. He's the most extraordinary horse, hard as nails."

Tiber Flow just denies Witch Hunter (far) in HungerfordCredit: BHA/RaceTech

When invited to describe Tiber Flow, Haggas reached for a few possible definitions, perhaps unsurprisingly for a horse who has already defied expectations this year. "He's tough as old boots," she said. "He just wants to win, which is a hard trait to find in a lot of horses.

"He's a legend. After York, he pushed his way out to get the win at Haydock and now he's won here. I couldn't be more proud of him. He's such a star. He's just brilliant."

Tom Marquand will have partnered more talented horses, not least the hugely exciting Economics, but he cannot have partnered many with a more willing attitude. Tiber Flow stuck his neck out at the right time, although his jockey was convinced he had been beaten.

"Witch Hunter came with a bit of a run and right on the line I thought his nose was down and that he'd caught us, but I'm thrilled he didn't," said Marquand. "To be honest, he's been a revelation since he had that fall, which is remarkable. They've done a great job at the yard to get him back to peak condition.

"He’s a proper, hardy horse with a lot of ability. He has a lot of class and Jon and Julia [Aisbitt, owners] are the most lovely people and so invested in racing. I know how much joy this will have given them and it’s been a turbulent year with him but he’s stood up, quite literally, to it all."

On their crashing fall earlier in the season, the jockey added: "We hit the ground very hard in a six-furlong Group race, so we were flying, and it was relatively quick ground. It's pretty remarkable he stood up all right. I hit the ground hard myself. You turn over and can't help but think the worst for the horse because they're more fragile than us."

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